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As we approach the premiere of DC Studios’ Superman, writer and director James Gunn has revealed how the film is going to address Clark Kent’s glasses disguise. Clark Kent fooling the world by wearing glasses doesn’t work as well in 2025 as it did when the character debuted in 1938, but comic book audiences and filmgoers have chalked it up to suspension of disbelief.

According to Gunn, his version of Superman will use his Clark Kent glasses to hypnotize people, causing them to believe he looks like a different person. “That’s canon in the comics. It’s kind of been forgotten, but that’s from the comics,” Gunn says during an interview with ComicBook.com.

The comic in question is Superman #330 (1978). During the comic, Superman learns that he’s been using his glasses to hypnotize people. The Man of Steel had been unaware of this for years. The comic went on to explain that this was possible because he had made his glasses from special glass that had come from his Kryptonian rocket.

The story was never mentioned again. Martin Pasko, who wrote the issue, would later say he was embarrassed by the story, and that it had been an editorial mandate. DC officially exiled the story from continuity in 2005 when they published Crisis on Infinite Earths: Absolute Edition. The trade paperback contained a multiverse index, which said that Superman #330 took place on Earth-32. Earth-32 was the dumping ground for most of DC’s silly and weird stories.

Gunn had been unaware of the story until Tom King had brought it to his attention.

“I was sitting with Tom King, the comic book writer, which everyone at ComicBook.com probably knows, and I was like, ‘You know the thing that I just really don’t know how to reconcile in myself is the glasses, because the glasses have always bothered me. As a kid they bothered me, because I just don’t have that much suspension of disbelief to believe that they’re two different people.’”

“I think out of all the actors that have played Superman, Corenswet looks the most different as Clark to Superman, even more so than Chris Reeve. But [King] said, ‘You know, there’s an answer for that in the comics. It’s canon that they’re hypno-glasses and that they hypnotize people.’”

So, how do the people of the DC Universe think Corenswet’s Clark Kent really looks? Gunn said the movie won’t show that, but he has an idea in his head. “I never did think about that, because I wanted to kind of be with Clark as Clark. I have something in my head of what he looks like, and I don’t think it’s that different. What I imagine it’s just a little bit more of a bulbous nose, a fuller face, he looks a little bit blockier in my mind when he’s got the hypno-glasses on.”

Superman hits theaters on July 11.

James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.